Calamity in Ocean Shores
by StellahhhBella
Summary: Merv and Violet Stimpleton bring a new girl into the neighbor hood through the foster care system. What impact will she have on the gang? Upgrade rating because I like swear words.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I do not own Rocket Power, but Marie is my OC. This is my first ever posted fan fiction, and some solid critique would be totally awesome. I've read a lot of incredible stories on here, so I'm very excited to get to add to the community. Thanks, guys! Have a good one!**

 **Chapter One**

Marie looked at her new home in Ocean Shores, California. It was a cute little one story house with a pool and the most peculiar mailbox she'd ever seen. And she'd seen quite a few.

"Welcome to your new home, dear! We hope you learn to love it that way," Violet Stimpleton smiled, placing her hands on Marie's shoulders. "We know it's been a very tough road for you, and we want you to know that we're very glad to have you here. Isn't that right, Merv?" Marie and Violet looked at Merv as he lugged the young girl's bag out of the car and grunted in agreement. It honestly wasn't heavy at all, seeing as Marie had so few possessions, but Merv was always over dramatic.

Marie reached her hand up and touched the tiny glass bottle hanging around her neck. It was filled with sand from her home town, Chesapeake, Virginia. It had been a very, very long road in these short 15 years. She smiled softly and moved her hand, placing it over Violet's.

"Thank you so much. I really can't express how grateful I am that you guys are so willing to take me in. Most people look at me lately and just see a lost cause because that's how most kids my age are in the system…" Marie trailed off, afraid to say much more. She didn't like getting emotional, and talking about it right now would be too much. Marie had been in and out of foster homes across the country since she was 5. She looked down at the ground and stared at her Converse clad feet. They were her most favorite shoes- red high tops that were broken in ages ago. They were a gift from her foster parents a year and a half ago. She was doing fine there, and the prospects of adoption were looking up, but her foster father lost his job and the courts decided there wouldn't be enough financial stability to support her. She thought that was a load of shit, but in the end, she was moved around a few more times, landing herself in California. Before then, she was in Burbank, but the couple was young and decided they wanted to conceive their own child instead of deal with an adoptee that had 15 years of instability behind her. Finally, Violet and Merv, having no children of their own, decided to take her in. Even pessimistic Merv felt that she had had enough of bouncing around and solid home was needed.

"You're a good girl, Marie. Don't ever forget that. We saw that light shining deep inside of you the first time we met you, and we only want to help it grow. Now, let's go get you set up and then we can go meet the neighbors, huh? How's that sound?" Violet hummed, grinning. Marie smiled largely and nodded, putting an arm around Violet to give her a comforting side hug, which her foster mother warmly returned.

They entered the house and went to the guest bedroom, now Marie's bedroom. Merv was standing in the middle, his arms open wide. "Welcome to your new home, dear!"

It was a simple room. Off white walls, a standing closet, a decent sized desk and a full sized bed. The bed had turquoise bedding and light pink accent pillows. Marie grinned at the sight of it all. It was so perfect to her. A space of her own. She hugged them both separately, giving them a million thank you's.

"Want any help setting your closet up? Or maybe setting up your desk? Oh, we'll have to go out and get you some stationary supplies. And, by the looks of it, some new clothes. I know school won't start for quite some time, but I'd let to get you into the normal swing of things as quickly as possible. But oh, not too quick. Don't want to over load you!" Violet rattled off, opening the curtains so the cul de sac was visible. Marie could see a group of 4 teens about her age playing hockey in the street.

"Violet, I fear all of your talking may overload her if you don't slow down. Let's let her unpack herself and get settled in a bit, first. Then, if she's feeling up to it, we can take her to meet the neighbors after dinner. How does that sound to you, Marie?" Merv asked, his voice softening a bit when he addressed his foster daughter.

"I think that sounds like a great plan, Mr. Stimpleton," Marie said with a smile.

"Please, call us by our first names. It'll be easier, I think," Merv directed her, chuckling a bit. Violet giggled and pulled Marie into one last hug before they exited the room. Marie sighed softly and smiled again, shaking her head ever so slightly. Turning back to the window, she decided to open it and let the voices of those other teens drift into her room as she started to settle in.


	2. Chapter 2

p class="MsoNormal""Marie, dinner is ready! We're having the best hamburgers Ocean Shores has to offer!" Violet's voice wafted down the hallway along with the smell of freshly grilled meat. Marie glanced around her room, making sure everything was in a decent order. Nodding to herself reassuringly, she exited her room and walked into the kitchen, which doubled as the dining room. Violet had already started off her plate with a bun and a burger, but left it plain so she could add whatever she wanted. There was also baked beans and potato salad. Marie loaded her burger and enjoyed a relatively quiet conversation with Merv and Violet, primarily listening to them talk and bicker and laugh./p  
p class="MsoNormal"After dinner, Marie insisted on doing clean up to try and show her gratitude in some small amount. It was easy, but took longer than it would have because Marie had no idea where they kept anything for storage. After clean-up and a bit of relaxing, Violet decided it was early enough to introduce Marie to the neighbors/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Don't you think she's had enough excitement for one day? It could wait until tomorrow. Besides, it's Saturday night. The other kids are probably out with their friends and not even home for her to hang out with. Maybe we should wait until tomorrow," Merv tried to reason. Violet tsked and asked Marie for her opinion. After sitting quietly for a second, she smiled./p  
p class="MsoNormal" /p  
p class="MsoNormal""If they're the same kids from earlier, I can still hear them outside. I wouldn't mind meeting everyone tonight, really." Marie was grinning, excited at the prospect of making new friends. Merv sighed in defeat but still smiled a little when he looked at Marie. She just looked so hopeful, so full of life. They definitely made the right decision by taking her in. They could create an environment that she could only grow in./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Violet squealed in delight and stood up, ushering Marie towards the door. As soon as Marie stepped out of the Stempleton house and into the view of the cul de sac, everyone stopped and looked at her. She bit her lip and looked down at the ground, concentrating on her outfit and how she probably looked to them. She noticed a couple of split ends in her should length, wavy hair and hoped the girl with purple hair wouldn't notice. Looking at her tattered blue skinny jeans, she hoped the short kid with blond hair didn't think she was some sort of street rat that couldn't afford better clothes, because these were her favorite jeans of all time. Her AC/DC shirt was well worn and she hoped the other two boys, one with sun glasses and one with a backwards hat, didn't think she just jumped on the 80s music band wagon./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Violet noticed her ward's nervous behavior and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. When Marie looked up at Violet hesitantly, she offered up a soft smile before waving at the other teens./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Hello, kids! How are all of you this evening?" She half shouted as they walked closer. She got a soft chorus of "good's" in reply, eyes still on Marie. She exhaled slowly and tried to smile, although she knew it came across as extremely awkward. In return, though, she got more genuine smiles. The girl with purple hair stepped forward, extending her hand, which Marie gratefully took, starting to feel relieved. She was wearing a purple tank top, capri pants and red vans./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Hi! I'm Reggie Rocket. Mrs. Stimpleton told us- well, our parents- that you were coming. It's Marie, right?" The purple hair girl said, smiling warmly at Marie. Some of the tension started to melt away and made the greeting process feel easier. Marie nodded in response and told Reggie it was nice to meet her. The next to step up was a boy of average height with brownish-red dread locks, a yellow t-shirt, red shorts, regular tennis shoes and sun glasses./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Hey. I'm Reggie's brother, Otto. Also known as Rocket Boy. Welcome to the neighborhood, Marie," the boy greeted, giving her a reassuring smile. She said hello back, also smiling. This was easy. These teens were kind. She didn't know what she was so afraid of earlier. The shortest of the group, a blond boy with glasses, blue jeans, a black t-shirt with a shark on it and a yellow, button up shirt on over that. He came up to Marie next and shook her hand in the same way Reggie did. He smiled warmly and introduced himself as Sam Dullard. "But everyone around here calls me Squid, so I guess you probably should, too."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Last but not least, there was the tallest boy of the group. The boy with the backwards hat. It was brown with two yellow stripes on it. He wore a blue tank top with what looked like a tornado on it, tan cargo shorts and skate shoes. He carried a video camera in his left hand and smiled easily at Marie. He waved his right hand and, in a moment of thought, decided to extend his hand also./p  
p class="MsoNormal""The name's Twister. Legally. Definitely my legal name. Don't ask anyone if it's not, because they'll tell you that it is." He said, laughing a little. Marie laughed with him and then stared at the group for a second./p  
p class="MsoNormal""So, as you guys know, I'm Marie. Marie Smith. It's so nice to meet all of you," She stated calmly, feeling completely relaxed. Violet smiled widely and mumbled something about having to clean up after dinner. The group was calm for a second, trying to shift into having a new member. Unfortunately, that calmness only lasted a second. As Reggie opened her mouth to get to know more about Marie, whooping and howling filled the cul de sac as three other boys, a couple years older than the group of teens currently standing there, came skate boarding into the area./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Hey, look at the nerds just standing there, waiting to get whomped on! Man, they're like ducks in a barrel!" They stopped just shortly behind the group, leaving Marie out of their sight. She was able to glance around her new friends and get a good look at the new comers. There was a guy of middle height with long brown hair, some of it covering his right eye. He had on regular blue jeans, a grey hoodie with a red star on it and a grey ski cap. He appeared to be the leader. The guy to his right was shorter, his hair in a buzz cut, wearing a dark pink shirt and green pants. The last one was the tallest of the group, had shaggy red hair, a blue t-shirt with a yellow tank top over it and blue basketball shorts./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Back off, Lars. We're just meeting the new girl. Go be annoying somewhere else," Twister sighed, sounding incredibly annoyed. He turned back to Marie to explain. "Lars is my older brother. Total grievance. I wouldn't worry that much about him, though. He's got more bark than bite." Everyone in the group laughed. The middle guy got an annoyed look on his face and stepped off his skate board, giving Twister a shove. Marie instinctively put her hands in front of her to help catch him, even though he didn't need it./p  
p class="MsoNormal" "New girl? Oh! You mean the one the old folks are taking in. Geez, that's a pretty big responsibility. Hey, where is she any- oh. Hi. I'm Lars." The last words just seemed to fall out of his mouth before he really knew what he was saying. Marie still had her hands out, a cautious look on her face. She quietly greeted Lars as he helped straighten his little brother up, pretending to brush off the younger's shoulders./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Really, Lars? Trying to show off that more sensitive side in front of the new girl?" Otto scoffed. He glanced at Sam and Reggie, who both smirked./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Hey, I'm not trying to show off anything in front of anyone! C'mon guys, we're going to Madtown!" With one last shove to Twister, they got back on their skate boards and rode away./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Geez, what a jerk," Marie said, once again feeling comfortable. "Are you okay, Twister?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah, I'm fine. He's done worse," He replied, sticking his tongue out and making crude hand gestures in the way his brother just went. They all had a good laugh before Sam was called in for dinner. Soon after, the Rockets were called in and Twister joined them./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Hey, Marie. Do you want us to come get you when we're done eating to hang out some more?" Reggie asked, smiling at her new friend./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Nah, it's been a long day. I think I'm just gonna hit the hay early. But I'll see you guys tomorrow, right?" There was a little bit of anxiety in her voice. Reggie heard it and pulled her into a quick hug./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah, we'll be right out here around noon tomorrow. If we decide to go anywhere, we'll wait for you first, okay?" Marie returned the hug and agreed, grinning widely before saying good night to her new friends./p  
p class="MsoNormal" /p 


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey, all! I'm having a lot of fun writing this. This is an idea I've been tossing around for a few months and to finally write it feel incredible. I've gotten some great feed back from Screenplay101 and DimondDoggie (who are both great writers, I'd check them out if you've got the time!), so hopefully this story will only continue to grow and get better. I don't own Rocket Power, but I do own Marie. Reggie is 16, the rest of the gang is 15, and Lars and his gang are 17. I forgot to establish that last chapter, my apologies. Enjoy!**

Marie wasn't able to recall the last time she slept so soundly. In just one day so much of her anxiety had went away. Of course, that always happened when she went into a new home. It happened often enough that that hope she felt with every new home should have been squashed like it had for so many of her old acquaintances in the system. She felt the sun on her arm and back, and felt the soft pillow case smushed against her face. Suddenly, there was a knock at the front door. She heard one of the Stimpleton's open it.

"Good morning, Mrs. Stimpleton! Is Marie up?" Reggie's voice drifted down the hallway to her slightly cracked door. Her window was still open and she could hear the others goofing off in cul de sac.

"Oh, I don't think she is quite yet. But as soon as she's up and ready, I'll send her out," Violet replied. Marie sat up in bed and tried to shout something to them about being awake, but it came out as a jumbled mess of "him awaaaare." She heard laughing in response, then footsteps and then her door opened. Reggie was standing there, laughing.

"Hey, sleepy head. Ready to skate the day away?" Marie stared at Reggie for a second, rubbing her right eye. She yawned and nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. I've never skated before. Skate board or Roller skates. Not even ice skating. You're gonna have to teach me." At this point, Marie had moved over to her closet. "What should I wear? I don't have a helmet. Do you guys have a spare?"

Reggie chuckled. "Yeah, we can teach you no problem. We had to teach Squid how to do pretty much everything except for be a street hockey goalie. He was a natural at that. As a matter of fact, I've got a few sets of extra padding. And I'd say jeans. It's not supposed to get that hot today, so maybe a long sleeve shirt, too. Meet us out in the street in half an hour, okay?" With that, Reggie left.

Marie hopped in the shower real fast before changing into a pair of black jeans, a dark green long sleeve shirt and her Converse. She through her hair up into a sloppy bun as she walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bagel to munch on.

"You got ready fast. Big plans for today with those other hooligans?" Merv asked, turning the page of the newspaper, the Shore Breeze.

"Yup. I'm going to learn how to skate… something today! Anything good going on in the news?" Marie asked as her bagel finished toasting and she put peanut butter on it.

"Oh, just the same nonsense as always. Nothing too good, nothing too bad. Skating, you say? You know, those hooligans once broke my arm with their skate board!" Merv began to rant. Violet scoffed slightly and gave Merv a little glare.

"They did not, you big faker. You just got it scraped a little," She said before turning to Marie and smiling. "You have fun, but you make sure to be safe, okay?" Violet pulled Marie into a hug before she walked out the door, meeting the other kids.

"Hey, Marie! Good to see you upright and sentient!" Squid shouted, waving enthusiastically.

"Sentient? She's not a rock, Squid!" Twister exclaimed, laughing even harder than he just was. Otto joined in and Reggie just sighed. "Twister, that's sediment! Sentient means she's aware of the world. You really need to pay better attention in school. Anyway, Marie, I dug up my extra padding. These are your elbow pads, these are knee pads, gloves and your helmet. I'm pretty sure these'll fit. You can use this skate board. We'll start off with simple stuff, okay?" Reggie handed everything over and checked that Marie had everything on correctly. They spent hours laughing and practicing. By late afternoon, Marie could successfully tic-tac, and that was pretty much it.

"Wow, Marie, you're almost as bad as the Squid!" Twister laughed, giving her a solid pat on the back.

"Yeah, except she can actually do a simple tic-tac!" Otto joined in, punching her shoulder lightly.

"Aw, c'mon guys, lay off me! I've gotten a lot better!" Squid protested, sighing in defeat. "You're doing a real good job, Marie. Pretty soon, you'll be showing up Otto himself." He stuck his tongue out at Otto, receiving a little shove in the shoulder. Marie laughed and propped her arm on Sam's shoulder.

"Ah, I'm sure you were good to start with. Your goalie reputation proceeds you, by the way. Anyway, I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving!" Marie put a hand over her stomach, which growled in perfect timing. Everyone laughed and agreed.

"Well, our dad owns a burger joint down at the Pier. Have you been down there yet?" Otto asked, picking up his board.

"No, not yet. And a burger does sound incredible. How good are your dad's fries?"

"Oh, Tito makes the best fries in town, trust me," Twister replied, thinking about the fries himself. "Man, I could eat those for every meal of every day and never get sick of them."

"It's decided then! To your dad's restaurant!" Marie exclaimed, putting her helmet back on.

"It's the Shore Shack. And are you sure you want to ride down? I've got a bike you can use if you'd rather take that," Reggie asked cautiously. Marie chewed on the inside of her lip before nodding.

"Yeah, that's probably a better idea! I might crash and burn hardcore, and I'm really not up for a trip to the hospital," Marie laughed, picking up the skate board she had just been using. Reggie led her to their garage, which was right next to the Stimpleton's hedge. Reggie grabbed a red bike that was set up against the left wall and rolled it around the garage to make sure the chains hadn't rusted.

"Yup, this will do just fine!" Reggie passed the bike over to Marie, who hopped on.

"Alright, I think we're ready to go!" Marie shouted to the boys. The boys all hollered and quickly skated off down the road. The girls were about to follow but Marie stopped, looking at the Stimpleton house.

"Hmm… I should probably tell them I'm leaving the block… No, they know I'm with you guys, I think it'll be fine," she reasoned, looking at her companion who nodded in agreement. They both took off down the street, quickly catching up to the boys. They flew down the hill leading towards the Pier and Marie was suddenly at the front of the group.


	4. Chapter 4

"Look at that, Twist, it's like she knows where she's going! Hey, Marie! Slow down, girl!" Otto gained ground on the new girl, coming up on her side. "You don't mess around with food, do you? Anyway, we're going to be taking a left in two blocks. Just try and let me lead, okay?" He directed. Marie laughed and agreed, slowing her bike down then to make it easier. They made it to the Shore Shack within 5 minutes and entered the open building.

The Shore Shack was a small restaurant with a small, but very open seating area. They popped up to the counter and filled the seats.

"Hey, Raymundo! Meet Marie, our newest addition to the gang!" Otto announced, giving a tall, fit man in his 40s a fist bump. Marie extended her hand.

"Pleased to meet you! I hear you guys have incredible fries," she said as she shook his hand firmly.

"Have you now? Twister wouldn't have talked them up, would he? I'm Ray Rocket, by the way. The father of these two crazy kids. The guy back there on the grill is my best friend and business partner, Tito. Tito, come say hello!" Ray shouted to the back of the restaurant. A short, round man with curly hair pulled into a pony tail, a Hawaiian shirt, khaki shorts and sandals walked to the front.

"Aloha! Welcome to Ocean Shores, little cuz! The names Tito Makani. Handshake?" He laughed heartily for a few seconds, the energy of his words and laugh filling the air and making everyone smile. "No, no, I'm the Big Hugger! Bring it in, little cuz!" Marie was laughing with everyone else and reciprocated Tito's bear hug. Ray smiled at the interaction and couldn't help but notice that Marie was more warm and affectionate than any foster child he'd ever met. And he'd met a few in his day.

Everyone settled back down and placed their orders.

"So, Marie, where are you from? Originally, I mean," Ray asked as he filled their cups with soda.

"I mean, probably somewhere in Europe. I've been told my complexion and hair color resemble traditional Irish, but I was born in Virginia. Chesapeake, to be exact. So it makes sense that I'd end up by water again," she said with a smile. "I've been moving around since I was 5, when my mom died in a car accident. Unfortunately, I don't have any other biological family to take me on, so here I am. Hey, can I get my burger with everything on it? I think I forgot to say that."

"Of course you can. And Virginia, huh? Wow. A whole country away. Well, we're very glad to have you in our town," Ray told her as he placed the sodas in front of everyone.

"Thanks! I'm glad to be here. Everything seems really nice so far. And the Stimpleton's are such kind people. I feel pretty lucky to be here. So, other than skating, what do you guys do around here?"

"Well, for me and Twist, that's pretty much it. If we could drop out of school and just skate professionally, I think we would," Otto told her, propping his chin on his hand. Raymundo cleared his throat and Otto rolled his eyes. "Relax, Dad, I'm not dropping out of school."

"I know you're not," Ray replied, cleaning milk shake glasses.

"What about you, Sam?" Marie asked, looking to her right.

"Skating is fun, but I really love working on my computer. I do a lot of programming and gaming. I help Reggie with her 'zine sometimes, too," Squid explained before taking a drink of his soda. "Hey, Raymundo, can I get a chocolate milkshake?"

"'Zine? Like, a magazine?" Marie looked confused. "As in, journalism type stuff?"

Reggie chuckled and spun around to look at the other girl. "Exactly like that. I want to go to college for journalism after high school, but back when I was 12 I started my own magazine for around here. It's just sports stuff that our group does. Since Twister takes video of everything we do, I get stills from it and use those in the 'zine. I'm planning on having it act as my portfolio for college."

"Do you do other stuff with it? Like, events from school? Have you considered doing a website for the videos and flash articles? I could help with that."

"You know stuff about computers?"

"I'm a jack of all trades but a master of none, Reggie. It's a perk of living with so many different people. For instance, I know enough about coding to do the basics, and I play the guitar and drums. Not well, but still. A little practice in any area and I could do all kinds of things at a near master level."

"Computer nerd? Musician? Geez, what a weirdo, huh guys?" A voice from behind them taunted. The group looked and there stood Lars and the other two guys from the day before.

"Really? You're going to insult me even though you were the one that said 'ducks in a barrel' yesterday? It's either 'sitting ducks' or 'fish in a barrel'. What's your name again?" Marie scoffed, having already turned back to the counter and her soda. Twister and Otto were beginning to giggle while Reggie and Sam stared at Marie.

"Ouch, such a harsh attitude from a couch surfer. I guess I shouldn't have expected better," Lars sneered. Her head shot up and she glared at him, everyone else falling silent. She clenched her fists and closed her eyes and forced herself to breathe.

"Fine. If that's how you're going to be about it, okay. I will not continue to converse with such a nuisance as yourself," she stated, anger on the edge of her voice as she tried to keep it at bay. She couldn't help the situation she was in. She was trying to make friends, to get a fresh start. But she had learned from her mother to not tolerate bullies. She only had her advice and the necklace left from her, and she tried to live in a way that her mother would be proud of. She knew her mother would approve of sass, but not rage. _Maybe my father was full of rage and that's why it's not okay_ , Marie thought in an attempt to calm herself back down. She unclenched her hands and breathed out one last time before turning back to her soda and her new friends.

"Wow. Okay. Didn't wanna hang around here anyways. Pi, Sputz, we're leaving. Oh, and it's Lars, by the way. Don't forget it," Lars spat, turning and leaving with his friends. Marie made a face before looking at her friends, an apology already forming on her tongue before Twister spoke up.

"Wow, I have never seen someone shut down my brother so calmly before. He really gets under everyone's skin, ya know? That was pretty cool."

"Definitely! Man, I thought you were going to blow up for a second! Oh, and calling him out on his stupidity. Priceless!" Otto laughed, hitting his hand on the counter. The tension started to melt away and their food came out.

"Oh, my god, Mr. Rocket, this is the best burger I've ever had. And these fries are to die for! Twister, I totally get it. If bad cholesterol wasn't a thing, I'd eat these forever," Marie complimented, genuinely loving the food. The Shore Shack was great. Ocean Shores was great. Marie hoped beyond hope that she could actually stay here. For once, she not just wanted, but needed this place to be her permanent home. _Get a grip, girl. It's only been two days. But what a wonderful two days this has been_ , the thought making her smile.

"Thank you! And call me Ray, everyone does," Raymundo replied, refilling everyone's sodas. The gang hung out for another hour and a half before decided to go to Madtown.

"You in, Marie?" Sam asked, putting on his helmet.

"It sounds fun, but I should really head back home real fast and let Violet and Merv know that I'm still alive. I can meet you guys there, though!"

"Okay, well, if you come back down this way and keep going straight that way, it'll be on the right hand side. It's huge, you can't miss it. See you in a bit!" They all waved to Marie as they skated off towards Madtown. Marie put on her borrowed helmet and got on the bike and sped back home.

Once she reached her street, she took off her helmet and padding, deciding to prop the bike against the side of the house and taking the equipment in with her. Marie opened the front door, calling into the house.

"Merv, Violet, I'm back!" She sounded so cheerful and was full of smiles until she saw her foster parents sitting in the living room. Merv looked livid and Violet looked worried sick. She immediately knew she was wrong in not telling them she was going to the Shore Shack.

"Young lady, where were you?! We've been so worried! We weren't sure if we should have called the cops or not! Actually, given another half hour we would have! Do you know what would have happened if we did? You would have been pulled from our custody! Marie Smith, it has been two days! Two! This type of irresponsible behavior will not be tolerated! Period!" Merv wasn't yelling, but he wasn't speaking softly either. He was obviously distressed. Violet tabbed a couple of tears from her eyes while nodding with what Merv was saying. Marie gently set her borrowed equipment down and walked cautiously up to the couple.

"I'm sorry. I truly didn't mean to worry you guys. I thought that because I was with the other guys that you would know I was okay, but I thought-"

"You thought wrong, sweetie. I know you have such a sense of autonomy, that it's been a necessary part of your personality to survive. But you have to remember that Merv and I, well, we've never been in this situation before. And your social worker was so serious about how strict the rules are. I understand how you would have thought we'd be alright and not worry, but we did. And we need you to take our inexperience into account. The next time you want to go out with the kids, just tell us first. We need to know where you're at in case anything happens," Violet explained as she stepped up to stand next to Merv. Marie inhaled and then exhaled and then nodded.

"You're right. I'll be more conscious of it next time, I promise. I really didn't mean to worry you both." That being said, Marie hugged them both, and they hugged back.

"You're a good girl, Marie. We see so much potential in you. We just don't want something to happen to you," Violet said softly, hugging her extra tight before letting her go.

"All of this being said, we're going to ask you to stay in for the night and think about what happened," Merv asserted, also releasing Marie from the hug. She took a step back and nodded.

"I agree. Actually, I can one up that. How about I make dinner tonight and then we can do a jigsaw puzzle together? I make one mean spaghetti," Marie added, smiling softly at the couple. They agreed, thinking a night in would help their relationship grow.

Marie did make a great spaghetti dish and a good salad to go with it. They decided to do a puzzle of a farm and about 15 minutes in, the doorbell rang. Marie got up and opened the door to find Reggie and Twister standing there.

"Hey, guys! I hope I didn't worry you, too. Merv and Violet were really upset that I didn't tell them I was going to the Pier with you, so I got grounded for the night," she confessed, looking down at her bare feet. The toe nail polish was badly chipped, she'd need to re-do it soon.

"Ah, you're fine. We figured that's what happened," Twister began, smiling gently. "We came over to see if you wanted to come to the bonfire at my house tonight, but I guess not. Another time, though. For sure."

"Yeah, I figured that wasn't going to pan out well, but I wasn't really thinking," Reggie confided, rubbing her arm.

"A bonfire would be fun, but definitely another time. Oh, Reggie, I still have your stuff! Your bike is at the side of the house, let me get the other stuff…" Marie trailed off, starting to turn back into the house.

"No, it's fine! Keep it for now, until we can get you your own! I'm serious, don't worry about it!" Reggie interjected. "But I'll take the bike and put it away in the garage. Just know that you're welcome to it any time you want. I'll make sure Dad and Otto know, too." She put her arms up for a hug. "Well, since you're grounded tonight, we'll see you tomorrow, okay? Maybe we can catch a movie."

Marie grinned and pulled Reggie into a tight hug. "Yeah, of course! That sounds like so much fun! And thank you so much, I'll see you guys tomorrow! Have fun, and don't play with fire!" She let go and waved as the two teens left before closing the door and turning back to her quiet night in.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you again for your continued support! It means so much to me :)**

Marie shot up in bed, breathing hard as a couple drops of sweat trailed down her forehead.

"Just a dream, just a dream… Ugh, what a nightmare," she muttered, gripping her comforter before rubbing her arms. After effectively regaining her breath, she flopped back onto her pillows, gingerly touching her necklace. It was the same nightmare as always when she first moved to a new place. Abandonment. Being turned to the street. Being all alone. No friends, no family. You'd imagine after 10 years of the same nightmare it wouldn't have the same effect. You'd be wrong.

Marie turned her head to the right and looked at the alarm clock sitting on her desk. Seven thirty in the morning. Wonderful. Knowing she wasn't going to sleep again that morning, she flipped her blanket off of her and tossed her legs over the side of her bed. She rubbed her eyes and then stretched as she stood up slowly.

"Might as well make some breakfast while I'm up. I hope Violet and Merv like pancakes… Hm, I wonder if they drink coffee," she yawned, opening her door and quietly making her way to the kitchen. Fifteen minutes later, Merv shuffled into the kitchen to find Marie making pancakes, drinking coffee and singing along to music on her tiny speaker via her mp3 player.

"Good morning, Merv! I hope you didn't leave your appetite in the dream world! I made pancakes!" She chirped, placing a few pancakes on a plate before setting it on the table with a bottle of syrup and some butter.

"These smell delightful, thank you, Marie," Merv mumbled, pouring himself some coffee and taking his seat. "You're up quite early. Did you sleep well?"

"Eh, for most of the night, yeah," Marie replied quietly, getting goose bumps when she thought about her nightmare. She shook her head slightly then smiled. "Yeah, I'd say I slept pretty well. I did tire myself out pretty nicely yesterday."

"I'm glad to hear. How're you adjusting here?"

"It's early, but so far, so good. I don't think I've ever made friends faster, which is really nice! Thank you again. I know how weird it can be to totally open your home to someone. I really do appreciate you guys taking me on," she smiled slightly, making a plate of pancakes for herself before getting another cup of coffee.

"We're more than happy to have you here, Marie," Merv told her, also smiling. They finished eating breakfast in quiet until Violet came bubbling into the morning.

"Oh, good morning! My, breakfast smells delicious! Marie, did you make these pancakes? You are just spoiling us with your food!" Violet giggled, getting herself a plate before sitting at the table. She and Marie talked about Violet's various hobbies through breakfast and clean up.

"So, do you have any plans with the kids today?" Violet asked, washing the last dish and handing it to Marie.

"Reggie said something about seeing a movie today, but I don't know. I'm sore from learning to skate yesterday, and I've got some reading I want to catch up on," she pondered, remembering the five books she'd started and had yet to finish.

"Oh, I see. Well, a day of relaxation sounds nice! What book are you thinking of reading today?"

"Hmm… I've put off _Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close_ the longest, so I think that one." Marie finished drying the last dish and put it away. She gave Violet a side hug before heading into the bathroom. She showered quickly and threw on a flowy pink tank top and black shorts. Rummaging through her desk, she found her book and grabbed a beach towel. She walked out the front door and found a good sunny spot on the lawn to lay in. Flopping down on her back, she flipped a few pages before the bookmark and settled in.

Half an hour later, a shadow loomed over Marie. She glanced up and saw Lars standing there. Turning back to her book, she mumbled, "Can I help you?"

"It's a nice day out. Great for skating. Why would you waste your time reading?" Lars asked, crossing his arms.

"I like reading. It's a good book. Therefore, it's not a waste of time."

Lars exhaled through his nose a bit before taking a seat next to her. "Okay. If it's so good, what's it about?"

"A boy finds a very old key after his father dies in 9/11 and he searches all of New York to find the lock."

"That sounds dumb."

"That's your opinion. It's a very interesting book. The writing style is non-traditional."

"Still sounds dumb."

"Uh huh." She turned back to reading, waiting for Lars to get bored and leave.

"Marie?"

"Yes?"

"Can you, uh… can you read some of your book out loud?"

"No. But I'll lend it to you once I've finished. Which could be the end of today if you'd let me read in peace."

"Geez, just trying to be nice…"

"Why?"

"Do you want the smooth answer or the honest answer?"

Marie snorted and put her bookmark in her new stopping place. "Smooth, huh? Somehow I doubt that. I'll take the honest answer."

"The boys and I want to start a band. None of us can play drums. You can. We have a set for you to play on. What do you say?" Lars took his hat off and played with his hair for a second before putting it back on. Marie chewed on the inside of her lip, mulling over it. She did miss playing drums…

"Yeah, I'm in. But not for you! I'm doing it for the music, man," she said as she picked her book back up. Lars smirked and stood up, brushing his pants off. "Cool. We're having our first official practice tomorrow. Be at my house at 4. See you, loser." Marie rolled her eyes as he stalked off. What had she just agreed to? Oh, right. Music. Beautiful music. Setting her book down, Marie went into the house and retrieved her mp3 player and her headphones before laying back down on her stomach outside, picking her book back up. She must have dozed off eventually, because suddenly someone was shaking her shoulder. She opened her eyes and stared up at Reggie.

"Oh, hey, Reg. What's up?" Marie asked, pulling her headphones out of her ears.

"Hey there, sleeping beauty!" Reggie laughed.

"You are aware of the dangers of sun poisoning, right? Because napping in direct sunlight for too long will do just that," Sam sighed, looking worriedly between Marie and the sun.

"Ugh, yeah. I didn't mean to fall asleep. I guess I was really tired," Marie mumbled, sitting up. Reggie and Sam sat on the grass with her. Sam picked up her book and nodded approvingly at her choice.

"Huh, I remember that book. It was kinda weird," Reggie commented, glancing at the cover. "Enjoying a calm day, then, huh?"

"Yeah, it's been nice. It's been a bit since I've been able to do absolutely nothing. I moved right after school ended this past time, so things were hectic for a couple of weeks," Marie explained, stretching back out on the grass. Her friends followed suit and they all stared up at the sky for a bit. It was so incredibly blue and clear.

"It's like the ocean," Marie stated softly, reaching a hand up towards the sky to point at a cloud that looked like a wave tunnel. "I've always loved the ocean. Maybe because it reminds me of home. Well, my original home. I always dream about the ocean when I get too exhausted."

"Do you surf, Marie?" Reggie asked, flipping over to her stomach. Marie tilted her head back to try and look at her purple haired friend and laughed.

"Nah, you've seen my coordination!"

"It's not that bad. I think skating is worse," Sam said, also rolling over. Marie decided to follow suit and pulled her hair to one side. "Well, if that's the case, do you guys want to teach me sometime this week?"

"Of course! There's a lot of people in Ocean Shores, a lot of surfers, and a surprising lack of female surfers. I bet in a month you can kick Otto's butt in a surf contest!" Reggie cheered.

"Speaking of Otto, where are the other two?"

"Getting ready for a date," Sam chimed in.

"Hm, I knew they were close, but I didn't think that close." Marie covered her mouth with her hand as she giggled, nudging Reggie, who cracked a smile.

"That's not… oh! Ah, you got me. Nah, Otto is dating Twister's cousin Clio, and Twist has been seeing this girl from school. I think they'd break up in a heartbeat if they did date, though. They're way too much alike." They all shared a good laugh and finished the day off just like that. Laying on the Stimpleton's lawn, talking and laughing and getting to know each other better.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Okay, so I've been trying to keep this story to what it would be in the show (early 2000s), but I think I'm going to have to bump it up to now just for the music sake. I'm planning on limiting technology use to keep that part the same, but if a song seems out of its time frame, that's why. Thank you again for your continued support!**

"Marie! You've got to keep calm. Feel the waves, don't fear them!" Otto shouted, drifting closer to where Marie clung to her board. She tried to take on a baby wave but freaked out and lost her balance.

"I got a great shot of her wiping out, though, Ottoman," Twister laughed, coming up alongside them. "Probably the best wipe out I've seen this year!"

"Gee, thanks, Twist," Marie said while rolling her eyes.

"Aww, come on, I'm just joking! It's your first time surfing ever, we totally expect you to screw up and wipe out and a bunch!"

"I know. It's just frustrating. Plus, I'm trying to keep tabs on the time so I can get back in time to look up a few songs. I know I'm rusty on drums."

"Oh, yeah. The band thing. Heh, I doubt Lars will be able to keep it together enough to actually have a band!"

"I don't even care that much about it being a band, I just miss playing. I'm doing it for the music!" Marie shouted, raising her fists in the air before bringing them down to do an air-drum solo. The boys laughed and helped her get back on the conceptual horse and literal surf board. By two that afternoon, Marie had successfully surfed. She grabbed one last wave before heading back to shore to Otto and Twister.

"I did it! Oh, my god I can't believe I actually surfed! That was incredible! It's like… It's like… It's like being on a motor cycle but with water instead of just air," she exclaimed as she set her surf board down and pulling the two boys into a group hug. "Thank you both so much! I can't wait to do this all the time!"

The two boys awkwardly hugged her back before pulling away. "Okay, the next time you want to group hug, give us more warning first," Otto told her, picking up her board. "And we're glad we could help. It only took 5 hours, too! Are you always this fast of a learner?"

"If it's something that really excites me, then yes. Like drums. I took to those so fast. Faster than the guitar, which tends to be easier. Which probably also explains why I still can't skate board," she laughed, scratching the side of her head. "But hey, at least Squid and I can suck at it together."

Twister laughed and looked at his watch. "You guys want to grab a bite at the Shack before you need to head home?" He asked, pointing at Marie.

"Yeah, that sounds great. I'm starving! Teaching someone to surf is harder than I remembered," Otto complained, tapping his elbow to Marie's arm before throwing his other arm around his best friend. "Let's go pig out on burgers and fries!"

Two hours later, Marie was standing in front of the Rodrigues' garage with Lars' two best friends.

"Alright, boys, this is Marie. She's our drummer. Pi is the short stack and Sputz is the giant. And, as you all know, I am the Incredible Lars." Marie snorted, causing Pi and Sputz, who were already laughing at Lars' remark, to laugh even harder. "I'm sorry, Marie, but is there a problem with what I call myself as the front man of this band?" He sneered, leaning closer to her.

"Yeah. Just the ego. We're in the band, too. No need to act like it's a one man show," she replied, earning 'ooooh!'s from the other two guys. Lars scowled and stood up straight, turning towards the garage.

"Guess you'll just have to deal with it. You could quit, but I do believe that your words were 'I'm doing it for the music'," he stated, opening the door to reveal a drum kit, mic stand, bass guitar and electric guitar. Around the edges of the garage were their amps. Marie stepped over to the drums, taking a seat at the tiny stool as Sputz and Pi picked up the bass and the guitar, respectively. Lars stepped up to the amps and starting turning them on.

"I plugged everything in a while ago and made sure the amps were working," he said, burping into the micro phone. It echoed around the garage and the boys starting laughing hysterically, holding their sides and stomachs. Marie put her head in her hands and tried her hardest not to laugh along with them with some success.

"Okay, okay, seriously, that's a gross misuse of equipment!" Marie said, some laughter still caught in her voice. "We need to get to this."

"Ah, you're not fun," Pi said, playing a couple notes on his guitar. Marie smiled and shook her head, picking up her drum sticks. She started playing the opening notes of _T.N.T._ by AC/DC, her smile splitting into a full on grin. Lars and Pi both had confused looks on their faces, but Sputz knew what was happening. He joined in with his bass and just felt the music travel from his fingers and into his instrument. Marie kept a steady beat on the bass drum and hit the right drums in perfect synchronization with Sputz. When the song ended, they both laughed. Marie was relieved that she could at least play one song. And what a song it was. She could remember learning it the first time and practicing it every day. She smiled at the memory and looked down at the drums. The music was good.

"So, now's your chance to kick me out of the band if you've been having any thoughts about it," she said, grinning even wider than she had been.

"I dunno. Pi, what do you think? Think she's good enough to stay in? I'm having my doubts," Lars trailed off, nudging his best friend with his elbow.

"Heh heh, I dunno either, man. She sounds rusty, and I don't know if practice will help," Pi started chuckling, setting his guitar down.

"Rusty, huh? Well, we'll see about that…" Marie mumbled. She knew they were only messing with her, but she felt like she had something to prove. Without warning, she started up with _Rise, Rebel, Resist_ by Otep. By the end of the very fast paced song, Marie had a thin layer of sweat on her forehead and arms.

"So, am I still rusty?" She asked, trying not to breathe heavily. All three boys were standing there, staring at her. It was then that she noticed the Rockets, Twister and Sam were also standing there, looking as stricken as Lars' gang. "Blank stares aren't real answers, guys."

"Okay, wow. You said you played, but I didn't know that you played that well! Wow. Honestly, that's all I can say," Reggie said, pulling herself out of her daze and running the short distance to Marie, pulling her into a tight hug. Marie laughed and returned the hug, feeling proud of herself.

"Uh, uh. Closed practice, get out, dweebs!" Lars suddenly said, getting aggressive with his brother and his friends.

"Geez, Lars, we just wanted to listen to Marie play! I mean, she's pretty much going to be carrying the band on her back," Twister scoffed. As a result of his insult, Lars threw his arm around his neck and pulled him in, knocking his hat off and giving him a noogie.

"Watch your mouth, _Maurice_ , or I'll whomp you into next week!" Lars growled, finally releasing his young brother. Everyone laughed lightly at the mention of Twister's real name, including Marie. Twister turned red and hit Lars in the ribs with his elbow.

"Cut it out, Lars!" Twist whined, taking a few steps back. He sighed in defeat. "Why can't we just listen?"

"Yeah, Lars. Why can't they listen?" Marie asked, crossing her arms.

"It's a closed practice. Honestly, do you really want them just standing there listening and staring and judging?" Lars asked, walking up to Marie. As he said the last word, he dropped his voice to a whisper and stared her down. Marie began chewing on the inside of her lip. She knew her friends wouldn't be that mean as to criticize her harshly or tell her that she sucks on a bad day, but she did feel rusty. Those were the only two songs she could play anymore, and that was mostly because they were two of her favorite songs and she listened to them so often that she never gave herself the chance to forget how to play them.

Sighing, she looked around Lars and at her friends. "Sorry, guys. But I think for now it might be best to have it a closed practice. I haven't had any practice in a few years, and I doubt Lars is any good, so we wouldn't want to embarrass him." She smirked at Lars who turned bright red at the insult and glared at her. "I did say I was only doing this for the music."

Lars looked like he was going to say something, but pressed his mouth into a hard line instead and spun on his heel before stalking to the garage door and slamming it shut. A few seconds later, a man in a suit and a moustache poked his head out of the door leading from the garage into the house.

"Lars. What have we told you about slamming doors? Garage doors are no different. And this one would be more expensive to fix. Don't let it happen again, son. Ah, hello boys! And girl! You must be Marie," the man spoke in a slight Spanish accent.

"That I am. And you must be Lars and Twister's father," she said as she stood up to shake his hand. "It's nice meeting you!"

"Please, the pleasure is all mine. I'm sure my wife will be out soon and you'll get to meet her, too. You kids have fun!" He said as he went back inside.

"We'll try to keep it down, Dad," Lars called out, adjusting the volume on the amps. "Alright, Sputz, you and Marie obviously already know a song. What was it?"

Marie and Sputz both scoffed, exchanging worried glances. "You really don't know AC/DC when you hear it? I mean, the bass is a little bit harder to pick out, but the drums should be a dead giveaway! Geez, it looks like we're gonna have to start with classic music lessons. What do you guys even listen to?" Marie asked, looking at Pi and Lars in disbelief.

"Hey, we listen to rock! Maybe not a lot of classic rock, but I know who AC/DC is," Pi defended, playing with his guitar. To prove his point, he played the opening cords of _Back in Black_. Lars slowly nodded his head and when Pi finished said, "Yeah, I know that one. I think that's a good song for our first band practice." He spun his mic around to face his band members, smiling slightly. He nodded to Pi, who started the song over.

It took them an hour to play the song correctly. Everyone in the band had missed cues, played the wrong note, sped up or slowed down in the wrong place, hit a few sour notes, everything that could have gone wrong did. And every time something went wrong, even if it was her own fault, Marie laughed. And every time something went wrong, even if it was his own fault, Lars got mad.

"C'mon, Lars, there's no need to get mad," Sputz mumbled, his voice low and raspy as always. Lars simply glared at him in response and barked, "We're starting again, from the top."

Once they finally played it successfully, everyone smiled.

"We should probably start thinking of band names," Pi mused, setting his guitar down and cracking his knuckles.

"I was thinking about that," Sputz started, fiddling with his bass some more. "Maybe it's dumb to do this, but we already call ourselves the Lasers, so why not stick with it? I always thought it would be a cool band name."

Marie mulled it around in her head. Did she see herself as a laser? Maybe a laser beam. She smirked. Yeah, she could see that happening. "I'm down with that name. Pi? Lars? How do you feel about it?" Pi nodded enthusiastically while Lars leaned against the garage door, obviously thinking it over. "Yeah, I'm in. We are officially the Lasers," he said with finality, giving each of his band mates a fist bump. He gave Marie hers and smiled softly at her. Marie smiled back and noticed that Lars' cheeks turned a little pink when she did. _Huh, that was weird_ , she thought. _I wonder what that was about_. She mentally shrugged and put it to the back of her mind to maybe deal with it later.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Buongiorno! Sorry it took me so long to update, I've been busy with classes. Thanks again for the love and support :)**

"Violet! Merv! I'm home!" Marie called out as she opened the front door. She had been out surfing with Reggie all day. Sam was visiting his dad and Otto was at a skating competition that Twister was filming.

"Oh, hello, dear! How's the ocean today?" Violet's voice drifted from the kitchen along with the smell of chocolate chip cookies. Marie walked into the next room and stood next to Violet at the counter.

"Good enough for me, but I think Reggie was a little disappointed," she informed her foster mother as she got a spoon from the drawer and ate some of the cookie dough. Violet gave her a look that said "don't you dare put that spoon back in my bowl" before nodding at what she said.

"Those Rockets do love their big waves. You know, their father was in a surf movie. He's a darn good one, too! Those kids got the best genes to be athletes!"

"Speaking of the Rockets, Reggie wants to know if I can stay over tonight. Would you guys mind if I did?" It had been a pretty solid two weeks since Marie had moved to Ocean Shores. She had settled into the neighborhood, and the neighborhood had settled with her. Everything was going surprisingly smoothly.

"Well, I don't see why not! Will you be having dinner there or here?"

"There. We're going to try to make pizza."

"Oh, how fun! Hopefully you'll come home with a new recipe for us to have!" Marie grinned and hugged Violet tightly before heading to her room to grab a few overnight essentials. She had butterflies in her stomach. This would be the first sleep over in years that she'd had. She wondered what she and Reggie would do. Maybe they'd watch a few scary movies. Maybe they could paint each other's toe nails. Marie glanced down at her feet. Yup, she still hadn't painted them again. She tried to calm her nerves with these thoughts and it sort of worked. A few minutes later, she noticed a bed room light at the Rockets' house flick on and off three times. She laughed because Reggie had insisted on using a signal rather than setting a time. It was a goofy thing to do, but she went along with it, thinking it would be fun to see it. She wasn't wrong.

"Alright, I'm headed over to my sleep over!" Marie announced as she entered the living room. Violet handed her a small container of cookies.

"Have fun, Marie. Be respectful of their house. Oh! I almost forgot. We're going to play bridge with some old friends of ours. We should be home no later than 10 if you need anything," Merv informed her, putting his hat on.

"Okay, have fun you two!" Marie smiled, hugging them both before heading across the street. She got halfway between the houses before she heard someone yell her name. Turning her head to the right, she noticed Lars walking up to her.

"Oh, hey. What's up?" She asked plainly. They were getting along better than before, but things were still strained sometimes. She would challenge his power and he would make fun of whatever he could that wouldn't result in an emotional meltdown on her end, and a body bag on his end.

"Nothing, just wanted to see if you wanted to hang out. Hey, are those cookies? Can I have one?" He asked, reaching for the container. Marie pulled it away from his hand.

"Uh, no. These are for me and Reg. And I would, but I'm having a sleep over."

"What, with pillow fights and stuff?"

"Yeah, and skimpy pajamas and talking about boys we like. No. Not even kind of. Actually, I don't know what we're going to do. I haven't had one of these in forever."

"A sleep over?"

"Yeah. Moving around a lot means you don't always make a lot of friends. And if you do, they're more of 'I'll see you at school' friends, not 'I'm going to invite you over to my house and get totally attached to you' friends."

"Hmm. That kinda sucks. Well, if you guys decide to wear skimpy pajamas and have pillow fights and talk about boys you like, namely me, don't hesitate to come get me. Night, loser."

Marie snorted at his comment. "Night, jerk face." She closed the distance to the Rocket's door and knocked three times. Reggie opened the door immediately and grinned at her friend.

"Hey, Marie! I was wondering when you'd get over here."

"Hey, Rocket Girl. Lars stopped me on the way over, but I brought Violet's cookies!"

"Lars, huh? You know, he has been a bit nicer lately. I think you're starting to rub off on him," Reggie mused, ushering Marie inside. "Come on, I've got the pizza dough made. We can watch a scary movie while it bakes. What kind of toppings do you like?"

Thirty minutes later, the girls were sitting in front of the TV with a box of movies in front of them, trying to decide what sounded good.

"Oh, Nightmare on Elm Street! This one's my favorite," Marie laughed. "It's so laughable at times, seriously. Want to watch it?"

"Sure, that sounds good. Man that pizza is starting to smell awesome. Dad makes all kinds of weird pizzas, but Otto and I usually just eat pepperoni. Mostly because Otto's still a picky eater and I can't eat a whole pizza to myself." They both laughed at that and heard the timer ding from the kitchen. Two hours later, both girls were zoned out on the couch, pizza crumbs and soda cans in an array around them. Marie knocked her fist on her chest lightly and belched loudly, both girls breaking into hysterical laughter.

"Wow that was impressive. Let me see if I can top it…" Reggie howled, starting their burp-off. She let out a really big one and right at that moment, Raymundo walked into the house. Both girls froze and slowly turned to look at him, unable to stop their giggling.

"Hey, Dad." "Hi, Ray." They both said at the same time, trying harder to stifle their laughter. Ray merely looked at them before going into the kitchen. The girls glanced at each other with curiosity and looked at Raymundo when he returned to the living room, soda in hand. He quickly downed the drink and a few seconds later, let out a loud, long burp. Laughter burst from the girls again and Ray joined in, taking a seat in the chair next to the couch.

"So is this what you two have been doing the entire time?"

"No, we made pizza and watched a movie. That was just poor timing," Reggie explained, chuckling. Marie started picking up cans and setting them in a neat stack on the coffee table. She glanced at her feet and remembered that the polish on her toes was severely chipped.

"Hey, wanna paint our nails? Mine are gross," Marie asked, pointing at her feet. Reggie looked and laughed, nodding in agreement.

"You girls go have fun, I'll clean up down here," Ray said, standing up and picking up a few cans.

"Are you sure?" Marie asked. She didn't want Raymundo to think she was just using their house, drinking their soda and eating their food and not appreciating any of it. Because she did, greatly. It meant a lot that he was letting her stay over. She felt normal having a sleep over. She didn't want that feeling to stop just because she didn't at least counter offer cleaning up a small mess.

"Yeah, it's not that big. This is nothing compared to the messes Otto and Twister make when they're together. You girls have fun, and keep the volume down, okay?"

"Okay, Dad," Reggie smiled and hugged her dad before heading upstairs to her room, Marie following closely behind. Once there, Reggie closed the bedroom door and opened her closet door, pulling a shoe box down from the shelf. Marie looked through her CD collection and decided to put a Linkin Park album into the player.

"I don't normally mess around with make-up, but I've got quite a bit of nail polish," Reggie explained as she put the box on her bed and opened the lid, sitting down next to it. Marie joined her and looked into the box. She spotted a pretty ruby red and plucked it from the box. They painted their nails and for hours after that simply sat on the bed and talked about everything on their minds. Marie told Reggie about all the places she had gotten to live and in turn, Reggie told Marie about all the adventures she and the boys had had over the years.

"You know, there's two girls at school that I hang out with sometimes, and they're pretty good friends, but I've never had a best friend that's a girl. It's normally just me and the guys. So to have someone that I can relate to on more than just a sports level is really nice. I can't paint my nails with the guys, or talk about girl stuff like crushes and make-up. I'm really glad the Stimpleton's brought you to Ocean Shores," Reggie said, yawning slightly and inspecting her sea green nail polish. Marie smiled and blushed slightly, looking at her red nails.

"It really means a lot to hear you say that. I've got a lot of acquaintances, and I've made friends with people that I've lived with. But I've never really had a friend my own age. I guess that comes with the territory. But this has been nice. I've never been this happy before. But I'm also worried that it'll be taken away as fast as it came. So, instead of waiting for that to happen, I'm going to enjoy this as much as I can, just in case." She leaned over and put her head on Reggie's arm. She was okay with hugs, but physical contact wasn't really her thing, so this became a form of affection for her. Reggie smiled and put her hand on her friend's shoulder.

"I'm glad that I can be hear for you, Marie," she said quietly before fulling grabbing Marie's shoulders and pushing her into a seated position, staring at her with narrowed eyes and a smirk. "So, Lars stopped you on the way over here, right? What'd he say?"

Marie blushed but she wasn't sure why. "He just wanted to know if I wanted to hand out with him. I told him I couldn't because I'm obviously here, and then he said if pillow fights or the topic of guys that we like, namely him, come up, we should let him know."

"Do you like him?"

"What?! What kind of question is that? I barely know him!" _Why does my face feel like it's on fire?_

"Well, your face _is_ as red as pizza sauce right now. And he has been particularly nice to you lately. I'm just kind of wondering if maybe, just maybe, you guys should _date_?"

Marie buried her face in her hands. They were not having this conversation.

"We are not having this conversation."

"We definitely are. Should I call Twister and tell him to let Lars know?"

"You're awful. Truly, you are."

Reggie laughed. "Ah, I'm just messing and you know it. I won't tell anyone about your undying love for Lars, I promise."

"REGINA!" Marie half shouted, balling up her fists and bringing them down to the floor. Seconds later, Otto opened the door.

"What're you in here yelling about? And using Reggie's full name? Are you guys playing Playstation? Marie, are you losing?"

Reggie chuckled, looking up at her little brother. "Nah, I'm just teasing her over something dumb, no need to sweat it."

"Oh yeah? What is it?"

The girls glanced at each other, a little bit of worry in their eyes. _C'mon, Marie, figure something out, quick_. "I was telling her about living in New Jersey and she kept trying to get me to do an accent that I don't have. I was just getting annoyed." _Good enough_. Otto nodded and said "Whatever," as he left the room. Marie sighed and looked at Reggie, who was biting back giggles.

"Jersey accents, huh? I have to admit, that was a pretty quick cover up." Reggie yawned, rubbing her eye. "Man, today's been a long day. Ready for bed?" Marie yawned too and nodded. They flopped down onto Reggie's bed and talked for a while longer before finally falling asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

"Three, two, one, let's jam!" Marie called out, tapping her drum sticks together while counting before starting the opening notes to _Fight for Your Right_ by the Beastie Boys. The Lasers were starting to sound pretty good. Lars had a surprisingly large vocal range, which meant they weren't as confined to a single type of music or two. Pi and Sputz were also doing incredibly well with their instruments. Marie focused all her energy into playing her drums, mouthing the drum part she needed to hit as she hit it. The song came to an end and she sighed, setting her drum sticks down and stretching her arms.

"Marie, you missed a few beats in the in the second chorus. Stay focused," Lars directed before taking a big drink of water. She shook her head and sighed again. _Focus, girl_. Picking her sticks back up, she smiled at her band members. They'd been putting so much work in since they started the band.

 _"I'm honestly surprised Lars has even bothered to stick this out so long. According to Twister, if it's not sports or girls, he doesn't have much interest in it."_ Reggie's words crept into my mind from a conversation they had the week previous.

 _"I bet he has a crush on you and that's why he's sticking to it."_ Marie shook her head again, trying to get Sam's words out of her mind. She may have had a little crush on Lars, but there's no way he had one on her. Geez, a crush. She could honestly say that was a first for her. Rather, the realistic possibility of dating the person she had the crush on was a first. It was really feeling like she was going to stay in Ocean Shores for a while. Why not do normal things like go to school here and get a boyfriend? She had already made friends with the Rocket crew and the Lasers.

"Earth to Marie!" Her attention was snapped back to the moment and she noticed Lars standing in front of her drum set, microphone in hand.

"Huh?" _That sounds intelligent_.

"What's gotten into you today? Are you feeling alright?" Lars quickly went from annoyed to concerned, reaching his hand out and putting it on her forehead. Her eyes widened at his concern and laughed awkwardly.

"Nah, I'm fine. Just a little distracted, I'll try harder. Don't worry," she explained, swatting his hand away and ignoring the fact that she was starting to blush. _Keep it together, girl!_

"Alright, well, count us in." He turned back to the boys and they all smiled at each other. Their bond was definitely an interesting one. Lars was the obvious leader, and he had a habit of talking down to the guys but they never really had a problem with it. They just rolled with the punches. He got sassy with Marie more often than not, but she was able to dish it right back. She smiled a little bit before raising her arms up to count them in.

Two hours later, Marie was rubbing her arms. They were sore, but the good kind of sore. The kind of soreness that meant she had worked hard. Mrs. Rodriguez had brought out lemonade earlier and Marie was drinking the last of her glass, watching Lars rag on Sputz.

"You're seriously blowing off band practice tomorrow for a date? That's bull, man." Lars scowled at his friend and Sputz rolled his eyes.

"It's not bull. Marissa is really nice and I've actually got a decent shot with her. Plus, have you seen her?" He wiggled his eye brows and made Pi and Marie chuckle while Lars rolled his eyes, scoffing.

"Don't care, still bull. Love is shit and you know it."

"Geez, Lars, just because you can't keep a girlfriend doesn't mean everyone is turned off to love." Marie and Pi both 'ooooooooh'ed in response.

"Someone get the first aid kit because that's gotta burn!" Marie laughed, clapping her hands together. Lars turned his glare on her and sneered.

"Right, like you'd know anything about dating. You've barely had friends before moving here, so I highly doubt you know what love is."

"Oh, and you know enough about it to decide it's bullshit?" Marie countered, starting to feel defensive.

"I've got more experience than you do, for sure. And that's not because I've lived in one place for all my life. Even if I was an orphan I'd-" Marie stood up quickly, the sound of her knee colliding with the bass drum cutting Lars off. She hated that word. She hated that word more than anything.

"Shut the hell up, Lars. Pi, Sputz, I'll see you guys later," she growled as she exited the garage, making sure connect her elbow with Lars' ribs as she passed. She felt angry tears well up behind her eyes but tried to keep them inside. Not wanting to talk to anyone, she decided against going home and walked towards the Pier, hoping to calm down. She couldn't believe he would blow so low as to use that word against her! He wasn't looking too cute, now…

By the time she reached the Pier, Marie had calmed herself down. The sun was starting to set and the ocean was glowing a vibrant orange. She leaned on the wooden railing and just watched the ocean, feeling more at ease now than she did when she first reached the Pier. It was a beautiful sight, she just couldn't let her negative mood ruin it. It wasn't in her nature to get that angry, but he had to just say the one thing to send her over the edge! _Calm down, Marie! There's no need to get worked up again, it's done._

"Marie? Marie!" A voice called out to her, snapping her out of her trance. Marie looked to her left and saw a guy her age with shaggy blond hair, a black t-shirt and blue jeans running up to her.

"Jacob? What… What are you doing here?" Jacob Paley had lived in Berkley when Marie had. They had been friendly enough and hung out on a few occasions, but they weren't the best of friends.

"I decided to take a long weekend trip and visit. You know, get away from all the stress. This is crazy, what're you doing here?" He was grinning and sounded genuinely excited to see her.

"Uh, my new home is here," she told him, smiling back. It felt a little awkward, suddenly seeing a part of her past in her present.

"Oh, that's cool! Wanna grab dinner with me? We can catch up!" He reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her along. She laughed a little bit. "I forgot that you're not shy about physical contact. Oh, I know a great place to eat. I bet my friends will be there. Unless they're at the skate park." She pulled her hand back and walked up the Pier towards the Shore Shack.

"So, how do you like living here?" Jacob asked, trying to drum up conversation.

"I like it a lot. This has been the easiest place to move in and get accustomed with. The transition was really smooth, and I've made a lot of friends!" Marie grinned at the thought of her friends.

"That's really good to hear! What's it like living here?"

"You know those dumb teen surf movies? A little bit like that, but more realistic." Jacob laughed at that, his hand brushing against Marie's lightly. Her hand twitched and she decided to put them in her pants pockets. "I like it here a lot. Sometimes it's chaotic, especially with Otto and Twister running around-"

"Otto and Twister? What kind of names are those?"

"Twister is a nickname. And I've heard Otto as a name before. Anyway, it gets crazy with those two because they're both big into sports and Otto is super competitive, but other than that, it's a nice town to live in."

"That's nice to hear. I've thought about moving when I turn 18 in a few months, so that's part of the reason I took this trip. I wanted to scope the area out."

"Oh! Yeah, this would definitely be a nice place to live. I don't know what real estate looks like here, but I can't imagine it's too hateful."

They arrived at the Shack and Marie hopped up onto a bar stool, smiling at Raymundo. "Hey, Ray! This is Jacob. He's a friend I had in Berkley, he's taking a long weekend and visiting the town. Where's the gang?"

"Hey, Marie. Hello, Jacob, it's nice to meet you. The kids are at Madtown, I think. You guys here for dinner?"

"Yup! We'll have two combos, please," Marie said, taking her wallet out of her back pocket.

"No, put that away, I'll pay," Jacob said as he put his hand on her forearm, pushing it down. She smiled a little and put her other hand up in surrender.

"Okay, if that's what you want. Tito makes the best burgers." They engaged in idle chit chat for a while before Jacob propped his elbow on the counter and rested his head on his hand, looking at Marie.

"So, you've been here for how long?"

"Ah, a little over a month now."

"I see. Any budding relationships?"

"I mean, I've got my friends. And my band. So I'd say yeah."

He shook his head. "Not the kind of relationship I'm talking about. Like, a boyfriend. Or a potential boyfriend." Marie's mind went straight to Lars and she sighed inwardly. It obviously wouldn't happen. She shook her head and replied, "Nah. But I've never been one for romance. Moving around makes that a hard thing to grasp when you barely make friends."

"Well. What if I moved here?"

"What?"

"What if I moved here? I'll be here in a few months. We can date, right?"

Marie's mind froze. This was a guy she hardly knew. "I hardly know you. I didn't even live in Berkley for a full year, and we really didn't hang out enough to get to know each other. Where is this coming from?"

"We can get to know each other now. I'll call you every day until I can move. C'mon, Marie. Why shouldn't we date?"

"Marie?" Lars' voice broke into their conversation, making the two teens look back at him. Marie's eyes were wide from Jacob's proposition, and seeing Lars almost made her feel relieved. Almost.

"Lars! Hey! This is Jacob, we were friends in Berkley. Come, have a seat!" She hopped over to another seat, silently pleading that Lars would take the vague hint and occupy it. He looked confused but took the seat anyways, giving Marie an odd look before turning to Jacob.

"Lars Rodriguez. Sorry, did I come in at a bad time?" He taunted, noticing the agitated look on Jacob's face.

"Nope, not at all. We were just talking about Berkley and Ocean Shores and how different they are," Jacob shot back, his tone a little biting. Lars simply rolled his eye at that and glanced at Marie. He noticed that she looked a little bothered and tensed up slightly, feeling protective.

"So, what brings you all the way to Ocean Shores?" Lars inquired, grabbing a few of Marie's fries.

"Just wanted to get away from Berkley and decided to visit some place new. I was really surprised to run into Marie," he smiled at that and Lars scowled a little bit. After that, they finished eating in relative silence with a few strained attempts at conversation.

Lars looked at his watch and turned to Marie, saying, "It's getting late, and I bet Violet and Merv are going to start worrying. I'll walk you home. It was nice meeting you, Jacob." He hopped off the bar stool and nodded to the other man, resisting the urge to put an arm around Marie as they walked away.

"I'll see you around, Jacob," Marie smiled, nodding at him. He smiled back and simply said, "Think about what we talked about. I'll be here until Monday afternoon." She nodded again and walked away with Lars. Once they were a pretty safe distance away, Marie sighed heavily.

"Hey, I'm sorry about my freak out earlier. I overreacted."

"No, you're fine. I knew I was pushing a big red button, I just couldn't stop myself." They walked in silence for a little bit before Lars spoke up again.

"What was that guy's problem? You looked really freaked out when I showed up."

Marie made a face of annoyance. "Yeah, that was weird. He was just being weird. I'm glad you showed up, though. I was getting uncomfortable. He was acting like we'd been great friends for years, even though we only occasionally hung out in Berkley." They reached her door step and she smiled at him. "I know we don't have practice tomorrow, but maybe we can go to Madtown and skate instead." Lars smirked in reply. "Sure, just don't wipe out too much." Marie punched him lightly in the arm and laughed, giving him a fist bump before telling him good night and going inside.

Lars turned to go back home and smiled, excited for the next day.

 **A/N: What do you guys think of the developing relationship between Lars and Marie? I'm trying to stick to Lars' personality as closely as I can, but he doesn't really have romantic relationships in the show, so my feelers are out. Let me know what you think!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hey, everyone, I want to apologize for the enormously long wait for this chapter. I haven't felt much like writing again until recently, and then had to figure out a good enough conflict for this chapter. I personally think it's a good one, but I'll let you guys decide. Thanks for reading, lovelies, it means a lot to me :)**

Marie's eyes fluttered open gently, consciousness washing over her like the tide. Unfortunately, the events from the day prior crashed into her mind like a wave on the rocks. _Ugh, Jacob. Oh, crap, I'm spending time with Lars. Alone!_ Bolting up, Marie's eyes widened before she closed them, cracking a smile and flopping back onto her bed. A day with Lars. This could be interesting.

As she was thinking about what they would do, the patter of rain on her window snapped her from her day dream. _Rain? Huh, that definitely puts a damper on Mad Town, then._ She threw her legs over the side of her bed and peeked through the curtain. The rain was coming down steadily, creating a soothing sound. Smiling softly, Marie turned and decided to see if Lars wanted to hang out anyways. After a shower, of course.

Beginning to hum _T.N.T._ by AC/DC, Marie gathered her new clothes and skipped to the bathroom. Once she had the water on, she began to belt out the actual lyrics. She shifted through songs by her favorite artist as she finished getting ready. Marie put on her AC/DC shirt and a pair of jeans and, after blow drying her hair, she wandered back into her room, throwing on some socks before making her way to the living room.

"Good morning, Violet! Good morning, Merv!" She grinned, grabbing a coffee cup and filling it up. Violet greeted her just as cheerfully while Merv grunted, barely glancing up from his morning newspaper. Marie giggled in response before taking her spot at the kitchen table between the two.

"Any big plans for the day, hun?" Violet asked, taking a sip of her tea. Marie slowly took a drink from her own cup, enjoying the way it warmed her chest and stomach. "I'm not sure. We don't have band practice today, so Lars and I were going to go skating, but I think the rain has ruined that." Her statement must have caught Merv's attention, because he suddenly set his newspaper down and looked at his ward.

"Lars? As in, the oldest Rodriguez boy? That ruffian?"

"Merv, be nice. Marie, that sounds fun! But you're right, I think the rain will ruin that idea… Merv, dearest, is it supposed to keep up like this all day?" Violet asked, putting her hands over her husbands, smiling to counter his scowl. Merv grumbled at his wife before pulling his hand away, flipping the newspaper to the weather section.

"No, it looks like it should clear up in a couple of hours. But you know those weather men, never getting the weather right! If I had a dollar for every time they got the weather wrong, I'd be able to buy up this entire neighborhood!" As Merv continued to rant, the doorbell rang. Violet motioned for Marie to get it as she tried to calm her husband from his rant. Scurrying to the door in a fit of giggles, she swung it open, revealing Reggie.

"Hey! Come on in. Wow, it's really coming down out there," Marie commented, scooting backwards to let Reggie in.

"Yeah, I know, it's crazy! And this isn't even the worst we get. You should see the real rainy season!" Reggie laughed, kicking off her shoes and shrugging off her jacket. "Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Stimpleton! How are you this morning?"

"Good morning, dear! I'm just fine, but Merv's having a fit over the weather," Violet giggled, appearing in the kitchen doorway. Behind her, Merv cleared this throat and corrected her statement. She rolled her eyes in response and grabbed another cup of coffee for Reggie. She took it gratefully while passing her on the way back to Marie's room.

Reggie sat at the desk while Marie plopped onto her bed. "So, what do I owe the pleasure of seeing your lovely face this early?" Reggie smiled at the compliment, taking another drink of coffee.

"I've been texting Twist this morning. Do you know how freaked out Lars is right now because of the rain?" She asked with a smile. Marie's eyes widened and she sat up, shaking her head. "I guess he is, anyways. Twister has the habit of making Lars seem worse than he really is. Sibling rivalry and all of that. He won't tell Twist why he's freaking out, though, outside of the fact that it's raining. Care to fill me in?" Reggie asked the question so nonchalantly, but raised an eyebrow when she noticed Marie turning pink. "You do know something! I told Twist it had to do with you, he never cares about the rain! Come on, spill it," Reggie begged as she clambered onto Marie's bed, grabbing the girl by the shoulders. Marie sighed and told her friend everything- Lars' rude comment, running into Jacob and the plan to go skating today. Reggie nodded along and at the end, she grinned.

"So, a date. You and Lars planned a date," she started giggling, which turned into full blown laughter.

"Reggie, would you quit laughing? Why is it so funny? What, do you think I'm not capable of being loved, either?" Hurt leaked into Marie's voice at the end, worried that, if two people she valued thought that, then everyone would. Reggie quickly stopped laughing and pulled Marie into a hug.

"Sorry, girl, I didn't mean it that way. It's just weird, is all. You've only been here for a few months and you're planning a date with Lars. Well, if you guys are calling it a date. And the thought of Lars being serious about anyone that's not himself…" Reggie giggled again and this time, Marie smiled with her.

Just then, Reggie's phone began buzzing. She opened the text and laughed, quickly typing before giving her attention to Marie again. "Well, now Twister is caught up to speed. No doubt he's already told Otto, so I guess that just leaves telling Sammy. Hey, why are you turning red?"

Marie groaned, raking a hand through her hair. It was still wet at the ends. "Did you have to tell everyone?"

"Well, to be fair, I only confirmed what Twist thought," Reggie smirked, patting her friend on the back. "Ah, don't sweat it. We'll only rag on you for the rest of your life. What are you guys even planning on doing?"

"I'm not sure," Marie mused, chewing on her lip. "We were going to go to Mad Town, but it's raining, so that's out. Well, until it stops raining, anyways, but I'm not sure how long it will be. Merv started ranting before he told me what time."

Reggie nodded her head before standing up, stretching. "I see. Well, you're welcome to come over and hang out until Lars calms down. I bet I could kick your butt on the Play Station a few times." Marie laughed with her and agreed, grabbing her shoes from the bottom of her closest.

Two hours later, Reggie and Otto were in a heated match of some basketball game, Marie wedged between them on the couch, laughing at their trash talk. There was a knock at the door and as Reggie paused the game, Otto tossed his controller down and hopped over the couch, heading towards the door.

Reggie bumped Marie's rib cage with her elbow and grinned as the door unlatched and opened. Otto made a confused noise before the girls heard him say, "Lars? What are you doing here?"

"Marie's over here, right? We're going skating today," the oldest Rodriguez explained, sounding irritated. Reggie shoved Marie up off the couch and into the front hall. "Here she is! You crazy kids have fun, and behave yourselves," Reggie laughed, pushing the two of them out the door and slamming it shut. Marie collided with Lars, who steadied her and sighed as the laughs of the Rockets were heard.

"You alright?" He asked softly before taking his hands off of her arms. She blushed softly and nodded, straightening herself. "So, anyway, I was thinking we could check out the beach and then go to Mad Town. I…" he sighed, pulling off his hat to run a hand through his decently long locks. "I really like how the beach is after a storm. It looks different. It feels different. Cleaner, in a way. There's no people there, so it gets really quiet. It's my favorite place to be when I need to think." His words started to trail off as he adjusted his hat to its correct place and glanced at Marie, who was grinning at him. "What?"

"Nothing, Lars. I just didn't expect you to be so deep or introspective about anything." He huffed and turned, picking up his skate board. "Whatever, Marie. Just go get your board junk so we can get going. I don't want the beach to crowd up because you're busy being sassy." Marie smirked and walked over to her house, taking note of the pink that dusted Lars' cheeks.

The pair walked to the beach in relative silence, though it wasn't uncomfortable. They decided to ditch their gear at the Shore Shack before trekking down to the shore line.

"Wow, it really does seem different. The waves are calm, the sand looks weird and, you're right, it does feel cleaner," Marie murmured, taking in what lay ahead of her. Lars slowly reached over and took her hand in his. Upon realizing what was happening, her face, ears and neck grew warm. Turning her head, ready to ask him what he was doing, she noticed he was staring straight ahead, his blush back on his face. Lars cleared his throat once and mumbled some unidentifiable word, tugging her hand so they could move forward. They returned to their silence and made their way down the beach at a leisurely pace. As much as Marie enjoyed the quiet time, she was getting tired of just walking. Instead, she decided to pull his hand back, forcing him to stop walking.

"What now?" Lars grumbled, his cheeks getting pinker as he looked at her. Feeling the need to neutralize the situation, Marie put on an obviously fake annoyed look on her face and said, "I'm tired of walking, it's so boring." She smiled when Lars smirked. "Want to just sit and watch the ocean for a little bit? It's too pretty to not admire." Before he could answer, Marie plopped down onto the sand, crossing her legs and running her hands through the sand. Sighing dramatically, Lars sat next to her, poking her in the side. "For a quiet girl, you're awfully bossy."

Marie snorted at that. "Quiet? I get that. But bossy? I definitely thought it was sass." Lars laughed at that and took her hand in his. They were quiet for a few moments, just staring out at the waves. Just as Lars opened his mouth to ask the girl a question, a voice shouted at them from several feet away.

"What the hell is this?" Marie turned to her right, her eyes wide with fear before they narrowed in annoyance. Jacob was approaching them quickly, looking pissed.

"Uh, we're sitting here. What does it look like?" Lars replied, rolling his eyes. Jacob scowled harder, stopping only a few feet from them. Marie tightened her grip on Lars, panic rising in her stomach.

"Holding hands? Like this is a date or some shit? Marie, I thought I told you to think about us. What's he got that I don't? Why aren't you even giving me a chance?" His words were venomous. He was trying to provoke Lars into a fight. Marie was already done with the situation. _First the rain, now this… What's next, a meteor hitting the beach?_ She slid her hand out of Lars' and stood, crossing her arms defensively. "Look, it's none of your business what I choose to do. I barely even know you, why are you getting so worked up?"

"You didn't even give me a chance! You never gave me a chance! Not in Berkley and not now. You're such a prude."

"What the hell, Jacob? I never even knew you liked me until yesterday. And we hung out maybe five times when I was in Berkley. How was I supposed to gather that?"

"Wow, not only are you a prude, but you're an idiot, too. I was sending you all kinds of signals since day one!" He was stepping closer to Marie and they were almost toe to toe when she finally stepped back. _Oh, god, please don't let him hit me._ Lars wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side to keep her safe.

"Alright, man, this is escalating quickly. Why don't you just have a seat, watch the waves and try to—what are you—Marie!" As Lars was talking, Jacob had taken one last step closer before he threw his arm towards Marie, hitting her in her chest. As he pulled back, he tore her bottle necklace away.

Everything moved in slow motion as he launched it into the ocean.

"No. NO. Nonononononono!" She watched it call into the water, the air around her feeling thick, making it hard for her to move or breathe. With a sharp gasp, she sprinted into the water, searching in vain. Static filled her ears, her heart pounded wildly and her eyes stung from the tears she was preparing to let loose. The sound of shouting broke through the static and she turned to see Lars and Jacob engaged in a screaming match.

Slowly, she made her way out of the water, her eyes locked on Jacob. When she was close enough, she used all of her strength to push him. Though he didn't move much, both boys stood perfectly still and looked at her.

"You disgust me. You can't handle a little bit of rejection, so you insult me. Fine. I can handle that." She balled her hands into fists and started stepping closer, Jacob moved backwards and her voice rising with each step. "But taking something off of my person, no matter what it is—and you better believe that necklace was damn precious to me—is absolutely horrifying. If this is how you handle rejection, I hope you spend the rest of your life alone. Now get the fuck out of my town!" She raised one fist, watching fear consume his face. _Just one punch and he'll get the damn message. Right in the jaw…_

A warm hand wrapped around her wrist, the other one on her shoulder. Looking back, she stared right into Lars' eyes. "Marie, please stop. This isn't you. And this douche certainly isn't worth it. Come on, let's search for your necklace." Glaring up, he growled at Jacob. "And I suggest that you do what she says. I'm not above beating your ass, and clearly she isn't either. Go home. Now." With that, he turned Marie toward the ocean and started walking, telling her they were going to find her necklace, even if they had to search all day.


End file.
